Method of producing castor-leather.



life. 783,691.

lllrrn r y Patented February 428. 1905.

ATENT Grrrca METHOD OF PHUDUCIING CASTOFl -LEATHER.

V SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,691, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed August 13. 1903. Serial No. 169,398.

Be it known that I, O'r'ro FELIX llnrx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Method for the Production of Castor-Leather, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel method for the production of Castor-leather. The usual method for producing leather of this character is practiced in the following manner: The hides are first denuded of hair and are then placed in vats containing a solution of lime the proportions of which must be accurately determined to prevent the hides from being overor under limed. The hides are permitted to remain in this solution from three to four weeks for the purpose of raising the grain (the porous surface on the hair side of the hide) to facilitate frizzing. The frizzing of the hides requires highly-skilled labor, and the operation consists in supporting the wet hide on a metal-covered beam and working the surface with a frizzing-knife manipulated by both hands until the grain is entirely eliminated and a soft nap raised Subsequently the skins are again subjected to this treatment, which is called scutting, since its object is to remove the second grain or sent. The lime tends to weaken the fiber of the hide, particularly if, as is sometimes the case, the rawhide has not been properly dried, this weakening resulting in the formation of small holes or tender spots, which are invariably developed and enlarged during the operation of frizzing, regardless of the skill of the operator. As leather thus damaged cannot be utilized in the production of gloves or like articles, the skins are necessarily cut into selected pieces, and the cost of production is therefore high relative to the productive capacity of the hide.

The object of my method is to produce a better grade of leather with a material reduction of cost by minimizing the time required for liming, eliminating the manual cutting, as in frizzing and scutting, and by substituting in lieu of such manipulation the mechanical abrasion of the grained side of the hide in a manner precluding the possibility of the enlargement of holes therein or the develo nnent of weak or tender spots.

My method is practiced in the following manner: The hide having first been denuded of hair is soaked fora comparatively short period say fourteen days-in a lime solution, after which it is tanned in the usual or wellknown manner in the crust--that is to say, in the white with the grain on. The limed and tanned hide while in a wet condition is then fleshed, preferably by the manipulatirm of the apparatus disclosed in my Patent No. 719,773, dated February 3, 1903, in order to prevent the subsequent marking of the skin. The grain is then broken somewhat by reversing the hide to bring the grain in contact with the abrasive fleshing-wheel. The hide is next again tanned, and after being dried the grain is taken off and a soft velvety nap is raised by abrasion. This last-recited step of the process is preferably practiced with the aid of the machine disclosed in my Patent No. 636,970, dated November 14:, 1899; but it is evident that both the ln'caking of the grain above referred to and the subsequent removal of the grain may be effected by the use of any machine embodying an abrasive element capable of being utilized for the specified purpose. In fact, these steps may be practiced manually; buta machine is preferable by reason of the uniformity of the pressure to which the hide is subjected. Since these two steps to wit, the breaking of the grain previous .to the second tanning and the removal of the grainsubsequent to such second tanning of the hide-- --are practiced in a very similar manner, it should be noted that the breaking of the grain is effected while the hide is in a wet con dition. The removal of the grain, on the contrary, is effected while the hide is in an approximately dry condition. After the removal of the grain the hide is again tanned and is finally finished in the usual manner. Should there be any scut left on the skin, it can be raised by a sharp-edged knife (mooning-knife) or by meansof the machine dis closed in my Patent No. 667,305, dated February 5, 1901, before finishing.

I have described themethod as it is preferably practiced; but certain variations of the described procedure may be resorted to without affecting the essence of the invention. For instance, it is immaterial when the hide is denuded of hair and flesh. Both may be removed before liming, if practicable, or the hairing and fieshing may both be effected immediately after the liming of the hide. 1 prefer, however, to' flesh the hide after the first tanning thereof, the reason being that the fleshing and the breaking of the grain are accomplished while the hide is in a wet condition, preferably by the employment of the same machine, so that the two steps if practiced in the order recited merely involve a single operation of the same machine, the abrading element of which acts first on one side of the hide to remove the flesh and then on the opposite side of said hide to break the grain. Similarly, while it is preferable to initially tan the hide before the breaking of the grain, this is not absolutely essential, as the hide is in the necessary wet state when taken from the lime solution, or, indeed, it may be moistened in any other manner before the grain is broken. Still other variations of the method may be practiced without material change in the prod not, and I therefore reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the described method as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. That improvement in the art of making castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in an alkaline solution, tanning said hide,

breaking the grain by abrasion while the hide is in a wet state, ahd thereafter removing the grain while the hide is in an approximately dry condition.

2. That improvement in the art of making Castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in an alkaline solution, tanning the hide, breaking the grain while the hide isin a wet state, again tanning the hide, and finally removing the grain by abrasion while the hide is in an approximately dry condition.

3. That improvement in the art of making I Castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in an alkaline solution, tanning the hide,break ing the grain by abrasion while the hide is in a wet condition, tanning the hide, and removan approximately dry condition.

t. That improvement in the art of making castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in an alkaline solution, tanning said hide, fleshing thehide, breaking the grain by abrasion while the hide is in a Wet state, again tanning the hide, and removing the grain by abrasion while the hide isin an approximately drycondition.

5. That improvement in the art of making castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in a lime solution for a period of approximately fourteen days,dehairing the hide, fleshing the hide, breaking the grain by abrasion while the hide is in a wet state, tanning the hide, removing the grain by abrasion while the hide is in an approximately dry condition, again tanning the hide, and finally finishing the same.

6. That improvement in the art of making castor-leather which consists insoaking a hide in an alkaline solution, breaking the grain by abrasion while the hide is in a wet state, thereafter removing the grain while the hide is in an approximately dry condition and finally finishing the leather.

7. That improvement in the art of making castor-leather which consists in soaking a hide in an alkaline solution, breaking the grain while the hide is in a wet state, tanning the hide, removing the grain by abrasion while the hide is in an approximately dry condition and finally finishing the leather.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO FELIX FEIX.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. JOHNSON, JOHN P. JENKINS.

ing the grain by abrasion while the hide is in. 

